Todd Heyden, Ph.D. is Assistant
Professor of English at Pace University in New York City, where he teaches
composition and literature to immigrants and international students. He taught
ESL in Japan and Mexico prior to completing a doctorate in English Education
at NYU in 1996.

Shakespeare for ESL?

In terms of themes and
characters as well as of particular speeches, sentences and phrases, Shakespeare
has left a linguistic imprint on the English that is sharper and more memorable
than that of any other writer.Who can imagine an English without Hamlet, Romeo,
Juliet, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth? Although his language seems peculiar,even
to contemporary native speakers, it is nothing less than a cultural privilege
and obligation to make oneself familiar with at least a selection of Shakespeare.We
are touching on a whole argument that holds that culture is part and parcel
of language.According to this position, unless we give ESL students a strategy
for accessing the cultures of the English speaking world,we have not quite
done our job as English teachers. Of course,this holds true with the teaching
of any second —or first —language.

Unsuspected Pleasure

As unlikely as it may
seem,pleasure and interest are keys to engaging non-native speakers in reading
Shakespeare.One of the first things we do is rewrite the famous “To
be or not to be ” soliloquy, working in small groups. This demonstrates
to students that there can be a sense of play and fun in reading in a literary
text.It relieves them of the oppressive feeling that they will sit silently
all term listening to lectures. Confidence is another key.It initially feels
daunting to non-native speakers to read Hamlet. But, by beginning
with the rewriting of the soliloquy,they quickly come to feel that Shakespeare
is something they can undertake. They feel their own power as learners as
they set about changing words in the speech. The other key is to reduce students'
anxiety and resistance to reading a text that is not in modern English. As
they rewrite the soliloquy, they start to identify many words that they already
understand, and to realize that reading is not going to be a solitary activity
done with a dictionary: they and their group partners read and write about
it together. Along with rewriting speeches, students send letters to characters,
invent dialogs and create simplified scripts for enacting a scene from the
play. No less an English playwright than Tom Stoppard has essentially done
this exercise and successfully expanded it into a whole play —e.g.,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. These activities work best when
students write in pairs or small groups on computers,but they are suitable
for any classroom setting.

Background

The activities are effective
for two main reasons: they stimulate students' intrinsic motivation to learn
(Rogers,1990); and they provide a sense of security (Krashen,1991). In terms
of motivation,the writing is purposely student-centered, with students working
in pairs or small groups where they can benefit from their peers' insights
(Vygotsky,1978). The tasks require active collaboration (Lefevre,1987), or
as one student characterizes it: “We 're doing Hamlet —not
just reading it.” In terms of security, writing in groups builds a sense
of community (Tobin,1992), and engaging together in the activities is less
intimidating than encountering the play by oneself. The underlying intention
is not to cover the entire play, but to engage students in activities that
make Hamlet more accessible. In particular,writing enables them to
explore their own interpretations and express emotional reactions to the experience
of reading it. Ultimately, the aim is for students to develop a genuine connection
to what they are reading (Rosenblatt,1983). Best of all,they come away feeling
empowered. One student characterizes her experience this way: “Hamlet
is not something I would normally read,but now I know can.”

Rewriting a Speech

Rewriting a speech encourages students to read
closely.As they work with the “To be,or not to be” speech, replacing
some of Shakespeare's words with their own,they have to consider how the original
speech is constructed. They notice such factors as how words sound,where they
are placed on the page,the number of syllables,and the rhythm and intonation
of the speech. Furthermore,what might look like sacrilege,tampering with a
sacred text,is in fact a first step in understanding what the speech means
and appreciating the beauty of its words. Ultimately,when students work directly
with the language of Hamlet's speech, it gives them an opportunity
to claim something of Shakespeare as their own (Widdowson, 1992 ). Following
is an example of how we proceed in gaining access to the language of the 17
th Century in which Shakespeare wrote. Revised is the “To be or not
to be ” speech.

ORIGINAL
To be or not to be
That is the question
Whether it is nobler in the mind
To suffer
The slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms
against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them

STUDENT VERSION
To live or not to live
That is the dilemma
Whether it is braver in the mind
to accept
The insults and attacks
of unfair fortune
Or to take action
against an army of worries
And by fighting end them

Sending a Letter to a Character

Students write a letter
to a character whose speech they are currently reading. This activity is meant
to elicit what they are experiencing as first-time readers of the speech.
This is an opportunity to interact with a character,to ask him or her a question,
offer a suggestion, or give the character a piece of their mind.Addressing
a character lets students know that Hamlet is not sacrosanct, and
that there is a place in the course for their own reactions as readers. Sharing
the letters in class is often entertaining,and can provide a welcome bit of
comic relief before proceeding to study the rest of the play. Most importantly,by
expressing their first reactions and tentative interpretations concerning
Hamlet, students begin to develop a genuine connection to the play
(Rosenblatt,1983).

EXAMPLES OF LETTERS TO SHAKESPEARE 'S CHARACTERS

Dear Hamlet, I am getting really tired of studying
your long speech that begins with “To be,or not to be.” I
can 't even find some of your words in my dictionary. But what really
bothers me is your tone of
voice. Why are you are whining and complaining? You know what you sound
like?Like this : “ I
don 't know if I can do what my Dad said. I am so confused. And I am really
mad at my Mom for
getting married again so soon.” What a cry baby.Get over it,will
you?Be a man.

Dear Gertrude,
Basically,I think you are a cool character
and I like your argument with Hamlet in Act III that
starts with: “Hamlet,thou hast thy father much offended.”
Two things bother me, though. Are
you innocent,or did you and Claudius plan the murder of King Hamlet together?
I can 't really
tell. Secondly, you kiss your son Hamlet like a lover, which is really
creepy. You two are way too
close if you ask me. We are also reading Oedipus the King in our class,
and I think you should
check it out.

Converting a Scene into Modern English

Writing a scene in modern
English is an effective means of getting students to articulate their understanding
of characters' emotions and motivations. Putting words in the characters'
mouths lets the students connect with the emotional content of the scene.
They may not know what every word in the original scene means,but the words
they give a character to say must be plausible in terms of the character's
emotional state at a particular point in the plot. Students often write what
the characters are thinking in parenthesis. This helps them to refine their
understanding of the motivations for the actions of the characters (Widdowson,
1992).

ORIGINAL TEXT

Gertrude: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.

Hamlet:
Mother, you have my father much offended.

Gertrude:
Have you forgot me?

Hamlet:
You are the queen,your husband 's brother 's wife. And, would it were
not so,you are my mother.

STUDENT VERSIONGertrude:
You 've been rude to your step-father young man.
[Why can 't he get along with my new husband?]

Hamlet:
Yeah,well you have insulted my real father.
[Doesn 't she know how unfaithful she is being?]

Gertrude:
Who the hell do you think you are talking to?
[Is he crazy or just depressed about his father 's death?]

In addition to writing a scene in contemporary
English, students can invent a new one. This activity permits them to take
on the creative role of scriptwriter, which they tend to do enthusiastically.
Here again,any changes made to the original scene must be plausible in terms
of each character's emotional state and motivation. In this example, the ghost
of King Hamlet appears and directly confronts Claudius, something he does
not do in the original text.

STUDENT-INVENTED SCENE

Ghost:
Well,well,well,my dear brother!We meet at last!

Claudius:
What?What areyou doing here?I thought you were dead!

Ghost:
Well,there 's been a little change in the script and I 'm here now.

Claudius:
The Queen and the crown are still mine,and there 's nothing you can
do about it.

Ghost:
Actually,I have my son working on that right now.

Claudius:
You mean “Mama 's Boy?” Oh,,I 'm so scared.Ha!Ha!Ha!

Ghost:
You laugh now,but Hamlet is going to make you pay.And if he doesn 't,dear
brother,I will!

Shakespeare “Lite ”: Simplified Acting
Scripts

It is difficult for ESL
students to maintain a sense of the emotions of the characters and the movement
of the plot when they try to enact a scene from Hamlet.The length
of the speeches is as much of an impediment as the unfamiliar language. In
order to facilitate acting out a scene,students create simplified scripts
in which some of the language in the longer speeches is removed. This works
best with scenes that contain a great deal of action, where it is more apparent
which lines of a speech can be deleted. Working with these simplified scripts
students can, with greater ease,have a direct experience of speaking the words
in the play. In this example, students simplify and enact the dramatic, bloody
scene that concludes the play.

Laertes:
It is here,Hamlet: Hamlet,thou art slain; No medicine in the world
can do thee good; In thee there is not half an hour of life; The treacherous
instrument is in thy hand, Unbated and envenom 'd: the foul practise
Hath turn 'd itself on me lo, here I lie, Never to rise again: thy
mother 's poison 'd:
I can no more: the king, the king 's to blame.[Dies ]

Laertes:
It is here. Hamlet, thou art slain The instrument is in thy hand, Envenom
'd. I can no more: The king 's to blame.

Hamlet:
Envenomed! Then, venom, to thy work.

King Claudius:
O, defend me, friends.

Hamlet:
Murderous Dane, Drink this potion Follow my mother.

Conclusion

Little has been written
about using Shakespeare with ESL students, which suggests that this is new
territory that is well worth exploring further. Despite the reservations some
teachers may have, approaching Hamlet through imaginative writing
can be effective and enjoyable. ESL students have a remarkable capacity to
learn,and can do more than we, or they, think possible when given the right
circumstances. These writing activities are meant to provide an optimum balance
of security and stimulation, an environment in which students can have a positive
experience with a Shakespeare play.

References

Lefevre,Karen.(1987).Invention as a Social Act.Carbondale: Southern
Illinois UP.